CGC2: Good friends and a little Family
by FutureAuthoress
Summary: Second book in my Cool Guy Chronicles series. You don't necessarily have to have ready the first one for it to make sense, but it might not be as funny. Pretty much a story where a sea nymph named Meg comes in, and she kinda has a thing for Sponge. Enjoy!
1. Welcome Back!

**Authors Note:**

**Thank you so much for being so patient about the sequel to my first story. Of course I realize that it probably wasn't patience, just a lack of interest...but that's beside the point! Anyway, this first chapter is just an introduction to the story, and a quick fun "welcome back" chapter, thus the title.**

**Chapter 1 "Welcome Back"**

"Tag, you're it!" Spongebob touched Patrick's arm, and then switched directions and ran.

Patrick laughed, and Spongebob could hear his friend's heavy footfalls trailing behind him. Spongebob ducked behind a rock.

Patrick paused, and looked around. "Spongebob?" he called. Spongebob giggled quietly, and moved further behind the rock.

"Spongebob, where are you?" Patrick sounded worried.

Spongebob climbed up on top of the rock, and laughed. "Up here, buddy!" he shouted, jumping down and running.

"I've got you now, Spongebob!" Patrick shouted, running the wrong way.

"Wait Pat, over here!" Spongebob said, smiling.

Patrick laughed his sweet, dopey laugh. "Catch me if you can!" he said.

"Wait Pat, you're supposed to tag me!" Spongebob started following after his pink friend.

Patrick just laughed, and, still running, turned his head to face his spongy companion. "You've gotta run faster, Spongebob!"

Spongebob let out a gleeful "Wait, Pat! You're supposed to--" he was cut off when he tripped over a rock, falling face-flat into the lush green grass. "Patrick!" Spongebob called, noticing that he couldn't catch sight of his friend anywhere. He got up and dusted himself off, and then called again. "Patrick?" Where could he have disappeared to? Spongebob walked underneath an arch of lavender colored coral, searching the seascape with curious eyes.

"Gotcha!" with a shocking realization, the startled sponge glanced up to see his friend clinging to the underside of the arch, staring down at him and grinning.

He fell down and landed on top of Spongebob, crushing him to the ground under his immense weight.

"Spongebob?" the clumsy starfish glanced around, not realizing that he was sitting on his playmate. "Aw darn, he got away again!" he said, to no one in particular.

"Hmph hmm mm!" Spongebob tried to say.

"Huh? What was that?" Patrick nervously questioned his empty surroundings.

"Hmp hmm mm!" came another vein attempt of Spongebob's to speak.

"What?"

Spongebob managed to pull himself party out from underneath his large acquaintance. "I said, you're on me!" Spongebob puffed, barely able to breath under Patrick's massive body weight.

"Oh, there you are Spongebob!" Patrick stood up, as Spongebob took a huge breath, his lungs recovering from those few oxygen-deprived moments. "I was starting to worry about you!" Patrick said, helping his scrawny friend up off of the ground.

"Yeah, me too," Spongebob muttered. He sight and contented sigh, a look of laid-back peace on his face. "Come on pal, it's getting dark. Let's skedaddle outta here," he said, an uncertain smile trying to creep across his face as more jellyfish than usual began to emerge from their cozy hives.

"Yeah, okay." Patrick agreed, wearing his usual sweet dumb smile.

**Okay, short chapter, yes, I know, and I apologize. It's just that I loved this scene so much (I wrote it before I really had any story plan) that I had to leave it in here. So this was pretty much just a great big "HELLO" before I get on with the story. In the next chapter, I'm going to bring an _extremely_ original character in. I think you'll like it...but then again, you might not...**

**Enjoy! Once again, feedback is always appreciated (and will definitely encourage more frequent updates) **

**-Meg**


	2. Nautical Neighbors

**Chapter 2 "Nautical Neighbors"**

Spongebob arrived home to the usual banging and sawing that had been going on in the neighborhood for the past five days. A new house was being built next door to his pineapple. Spongebob had always thought he had a bigger house than any one person needed, but looking at the house of his future neighbor, and then looking at his own, was like comparing Pearl to Mr. Krabs, only more dramatic.

"I just hope that whoever moves in next door will like Patrick Squidward and I," he said to himself, leaving the bedroom window.

-----

"Oh, that infernal racket is making me crazy!" Squidward muttered through clenched teeth, covering his ears (or where they would be, if he had any). He, too, had noticed the new building site next door, but hadn't taken as much of a fondness of it as his yellow neighbor had. "I hope a cop moves in," he muttered, lining yet another window with aluminum foil, in an attempt to drown out the blasted noises depriving him of his precious sleep. "That oughtta do it," he growled, glaring at the unsightly silver barrier.

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

"Oh!" Squidward ripped the foil down. "This isn't working!"

-----

A black boat-mobile slid quietly around the corner and made it's way onto Conch street.

"This is it," a deep voice said from the driver's seat.

A petite face appeared in the window to the back seat, eyes scanning the view. "It looks wonderful," the figure in the back seat said.

"Would you like to take a look?" the driver asked.

"Sure," the passenger slid out of the seat and onto the pavement.

-----

Sandy lifted up a heavy dumbbell. "96," she counted quietly. "97," she pumped her arm again. She was having a hard time staying concentrated this evening. She couldn't help but think of all the other things she could be doing right then. _Fun_ things. Like a little picnic...or TV...or going to Spongebob's. "98," she muttered. _No, health comes first,_ she told herself. Health first, so work out was what she was going to do. "99" her arm ached, and she still had 101 to go.

_RING!_

Sandy looked up toward the phone. "100,"

_RING!_

She looked at her sore arm, and then sighed. She grabbed the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Sandy!" the unique high-pitched voice came in over the phone.

Sandy nearly dropped the dumbbell on her foot. "Ah! Hey Spongebob!" she said, slight traces of a smile crawling onto her face.

"Hey Sandy! Wanna come over?" he asked.

Sandy glanced at the weight lying on the floor. She kicked it, sending a sharp pain rocketing up her leg. "Yeah, sounds great!" she said. "I'll see you in a few minutes, Spongebob!" she said.

"See ya!" and the other line clicked.

"Ah, visiting Spongebob is more fun than lifting weights anyway!" she told herself, setting the phone back on the cradle.

* * *

**Okay, I know that the chapters are really short, but I'm just trying to pull through the beginning of the story. It seems really boring right now, but the real story is gonna start happening in the next chapter (which won't be posted for a while ;D) So yeah, I'm gonna be evil and make you wait :> Mwuahahahaha!!! ehem excuse me...**

**Hope you're enjoying the story! As always, feedback is appreciated!**


	3. Just a Kid

**Chapter 3 "Just a Kid"**

Spongebob watched the house next door receive it's first coat of Robin's Egg Blue paint.

"So Spongebob, any clue who's moving in?" Sandy asked, sitting back and taking a sip of tea. **(a/n: Yes, I know, the helmet thing again. There's going to be a lot of that throughout the series, you may just have to learn to ignore it ;) use your "imagination"!)**

Spongebob shrugged. "Someone was there earlier, but other than that, I really haven't heard anything." he removed his gaze from the window, and instead set it on Sandy.

Her brown eyes met his blue ones, and a contented smile played her lips. "So, whatcha wanna do?" she asked, mischievously.

Spongebob grinned. "Karate sounds fun right about now," he mused.

Sandy's smile grew. "To the park?"

Spongebob grinned. "Beat you there!"

-----

_Ding Dong!_

Squidward huffed in his usual exasperated manner. "I wonder who that could be," he muttered to himself sarcastically. He opened the door, and was slightly surprised not to see Spongebob or Patrick, but an elegant-looking sea nymph, clad in a green blouse and cotton skirt, with black heels and pointed glasses.

"May I...help you?" he asked, taking in her profile. She was tall, with almond eyes and long, silky brown hair just teasing her waist.

She smiled timidly. "Uh, hi, I'm Meg, the girl who's buying the new house down the street, and I was making a point of saying 'hello' to all my future neighbors before I moved in," she finished the sentence, her dark eyes practically glowing with delight.

_Who could be delighted to move in next door?_ Squidward wondered silently. So, this was the new neighbor, eh? Well, she did look kind of classy, and she seemed sensible enough. "Well, um, hi." Squidward said.

The girl started in silence, apparently expecting more of an introduction than that.

"Ah...Squidward Tentacles," he said.

He finally got a friendly smile from the creature named Meg. "Well, Mr. Tentacles," she said, extending a skinny manicured hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah, nice to meet you too," Squidward returned.

Meg sighed. "Well, I'd better get going. I suppose I'll see you around. Bye!" the bouncy figure walked away, her black heels clicking on the pavement.

-----

"Now, I beat you fair-and-square and you know it!" Sandy teased Spongebob, on their way back from the park.

Spongebob crossed his arms. "You know good and well that you only got me in the end because I tripped in that ditch," he excused.

"Right...okay..." the amused squirrel just pursed her lips and agreed. It hardly ever did her any good, arguing with Spongebob. It usually ended up in a huge competition, and right now, she didn't feel much like fighting with her best friend.

"I want that directly across from the living room window! _Not_ by the fireplace!" a woman's voice shouted from right outside the new house.

Sandy glanced at Spongebob, and the two ran to see what all the commotion was about.

The new house was receiving it's final coat of glossy paint, it appeared, and a large moving van sat on the drive. A tall, thin figure appeared to be managing everything. When she spotted the sponge and the squirrel, a friendly smile immediately slapped itself onto her face.

"I'll be right back, Bill!" she called, and approached the two. "You must be Spongebob," she said, politely, and extended a hand. "I'm Meg, the new neighbor."

Spongebob shook her hand. "Well, welcome to the neighborhood Meg!" he said, and laughed. "Yes, I am Spongebob, Spongebob Squarepants!"

Meg's smile grew wider. "Well, nice to meet you Spongebob Squarepants. Who's this?" she asked, looking expectantly at the land squirrel.

Sandy didn't like the girl for some reason, but extended her hand none the less. "Sandy Cheeks," she said.

The lucid nymph shook her hand gently. "Well Miss Cheeks, it's nice to meet you, too." she said, apparently sensing Sandy's uneasiness.

A loud crashing sound could be heard from inside, and Meg cringed. "ooh, I'll bet I know what that was," she said, mournfully, and then sighed. "I had better get going. See you around!" she walked back toward the house, her silky brown hair swaying from side to side. When she didn't talk, the girl appeared to be in her twenties. But when she'd opened her mouth, Sandy guessed she couldn't be much any older than 18, 19 maybe.

Sandy glanced at Spongebob, and noticed his gaze following Meg's moving figure, and for some strange reason, it made her mad.

She huffed. "Come on Spongebob, let's go inside." she said, grabbing her friend by the wrist and walking toward his house.

Spongebob's attention seemed to snap back to the present. "Uh yeah, okay," he followed Sandy into the Pineapple.

-----

"My china cup collection?" Meg groaned. "Bill, I gave you instructions! I told you, and I quote 'Be extra careful with the teacups, they're very special to me'! I wrote 'Fragile China Cups' on the box, and you gave it to _Fred_ to put up?" she stared at the shattered remains of her precious collection.

"Look, Meggie babe, we can replace those!" Bill told her.

The doleful nymph shook her head. "Just get this mess cleaned up," she instructed, fighting back tears in her eyes. Most of those cups had been birthday presents from her grandmother. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to ward off her headache. "This is just not my day," she muttered.

_CRASH!_

"Aw guys, come on!" she shouted up the stairs. "What now?"

"Dat wuz juz Dan fallin' out da window," a voice called.

Meg sighed. "Why do I even bother?" she asked her pet snail, Carly.

"Meow?" she snail responded.

Meg giggled. "Good question,"

Carly purred, and rubbed her shell affectionately against Meg's legs.

"You're a good snail," the young girl said, bending down to stroke her pets back. "Good Carly," she whispered. "Do you think I'll ever settle in?"

"You could settle in at my place," a deep voice came from behind her.

Meg sighed. "Don't start this again, Lester," she moaned.

"Come on Meg," the dark skinned creature named Lester said, sliding an arm around the young girl's slim waist. "Picture it, the beautiful sunset, the glow of evening right outside my bedroom window," he breathed into Meg's ear, sending an unpleasant shiver through her body, making her shoulders tingle.

"Get off of me, you loon," she hissed, trying to pry his arm away.

Lester squeezed her tighter. "What, don't you trust me?" she could feel his hot breath down the back of her shirt.

"I said let go!" Meg gritted her teeth, and yanked at his arm.

Lester turned her around and pulled her close, so that their noses were almost touching. "Go ahead baby, scream," he seethed.

Meg was about to do just that, when a familiar voice said, from the doorway, "Am I interrupting something?"

Lester immediately released his hostage, and Meg took three giant steps backward, nearly tumbling to the floor.

She looked up to see the octopus from down the street standing in the door way. "Not at all," she said, shooting a contemptuous glare across the room at Lester.

Lester growled. "We'll finish this later," he said, and walked away.

Meg sighed with relief. "Impeccable timing," she said.

Squidward hmmphed. "There's a delivery for Meg Treez at my house. It's big, so you'll have to come pick it up," he said, boredly.

Meg nodded, thoughtfully. "Thank you, Mr. Squidward." she said.

Squidward turned to leave, but before he could go, Meg spoke one more time. "Say, wanna come over tonight for dinner?"


	4. Moreover

**Okay, I know I haven't really been holding true to the "posting in sections" thing...but I've decided I'm just gonna post it as I write it like everyone else. If you get caught up and want to know the surprise ending...then you'll just have to wait ;) ANYWHO enjoy the story! As always feedback is appreciated.**

**Chapter 4 "Moreover..."**

"So, what do you do for fun?" Meg sipped her water, looking at Squidward over a set of empty plates.

"Actually, _I_ play the clarinet quite splendidly," Squidward bragged.

"Really?" Meg responded pleasantly, encouraging the usually doleful octopus' unusual enchanted mood.

"Yes, I'm quite a fan of the arts, musical being quite a weak spot for me," he smiled. "Does my classy new neighbor play any instruments?" he asked.

Meg rested her chin on her hands. "I play piano...and guitar." she said.

Squidward _almost_ looked impressed. "Really? Well, perhaps we could play together sometime," he suggested.

"Well I believe that would be a marvelous idea, Mr. Squidward," Meg responded in a mock English accent.

Squidward stared at her a moment.

When her dinner guest didn't laugh, Meg chuckled nervously. "I was messing around," she said.

**THE NEXT DAY**

"I'm ready!" Spongebob burst out of his house, ready for a marvelous day of work. "I'm ready! I'm ready!"

A petite figure leaned her head out the window. "Ready for what?" Meg asked, curiously. She appeared to be still in her sleep clothes, her hair in a set of messy braids.

Spongebob looked at the second story window. "Oh, good morning Meg!" he called. "ready for work, down at the Krusty Krab!" he told her.

"Krusty Krab? What's that?" she leaned her elbows on the windowsill, a lock of hair wriggling it's way loose of her braid.

Spongebob gasped. "You've never heard of the Krusty Krab?" the little yellow sponge was practically in shock from the news.

"No, silly! 'Course not!" Meg giggled in her apparently usual manner. "I'm new to town." she leaned further out the window. "Say, mind showing me around after work?"

Spongebob thought for a moment. "Well actually I had plans to go jellyfishing with patrick after work..."

"Oh, that's okay then," Meg said.

"But--you're welcome to tag along!" he offered.

Meg smiled. "That'd be great. What time would you like for me to be ready?"

"Six o'clock tonight, we can sightsee a little bit on the way!"

"Alright, six then! See ya Spongebob!"

"Bye Meg!"

She leaned back in and closed the window.

"I'm ready!" Spongebob sang, dashing down the road.

On the way, he nearly bumped into Squidward, who seemed happier than usual, but still mopey. "Hey Squidward!" he greeted, pleasantly.

"Hello." Squidward returned, all traces of a smile vanishing from his face.

"So, what do you think of Meg?" Spongebob asked.

"She's a decent neighbor at least," Squidward muttered.

"She seems nice!" Spongebob said, beginning to skip. "See ya at the Krusty Krab!" he called.

Squidward humphed again as Spongebob skipped off.

-----

Sandy bent her elbows in a push-up. Ever since yesterday, all she really wanted to do was take her mind off of Spongebob's new neighbor, which, of course, had made it even harder.

She was doing push-ups with the TV on, but wasn't really watching. She didn't really like that little nymph, something about her spelled out trouble. Maybe it was that huge house that she lived alone in. Maybe it was her bubbly nature, or perhaps her practically flawless profile. Maybe it was a combination of the three.

Sandy did another push-up, not really counting. _Why do I even bother thinking about these things?_ she asked herself. _Thinking usually leads up to something bad._ She quit pushing up and walked instead to her treadmill. _I mean, it's not like it's bothering me because I'm jealous or anything._ She stared at the beautiful seascape around her dome, taking up a steady pace on the wheel. _Then again, with all this beautiful scenery, what's not to envy? The ones who can enjoy that without a dumb suit are lucky,_ she silently griped. _I'm stuck in this stupid bubble._

She looked harder, and realized that the very object of her problem was headed her way.

-----

Meg knocked on the metal door to the treedome. "Pretty sure this is the right place," she murmured.

"Come on in!" the squirrel sounded overly-pleasant, like she'd been having a hard day.

Meg entered the polyurethane dome and immediately caught sight of Sandy, just stepping off of her treadmill. "Oh, did I come at a bad time?" she asked.

Sandy seemed tired, but perky none the less. "No, you're fine, come on in!" she invited. "Make yourself at home."

Meg felt uneasy, but accepted the Texan's friendly offer all the same. She sat down at a wooden picnic table, and after a few moments, Sandy sat across from her.

"So...what brings y'all to Bikini Bottom?" Sandy asked, settling in.

Meg shrugged. "I was trying to get away from some memories, to somewhere serene, quiet, and peaceful." she said.

Sandy laughed. "So why'd you pick here?" she asked.

Meg absentmindedly pushed her glasses up on her nose. "Dunno, just had sort of a...friendly feeling." she said.

Sandy nodded. "So...what kind of memories?"

"Well..." Meg never really talked about her former home much, the remembrances hurt too much. "I lost my family...when I was fourteen,"

Sandy's interest seemed to be locked. "What happened?" she asked.

Meg squirmed uncomfortably. "Well...a hurricane hit...in the middle of the night. My room was two stories underground...so I survived. I'm afraid that Good Carly and my tea set collection were all that made it out in one piece." She looked at the ground, hoping that her hostess couldn't see the cloud of tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh...I'm sorry," Sandy lent her a sympathetic look across the table.

Meg giggled, trying to clear the awkward air.

Sandy sighed in boredom. "Wanna hear about the time Spongebob and I battled the giant worm?"

Meg shrugged. "Sure."

-----

"You sure you don't wanna come tonight, Squidward?" Spongebob checked for about the fifteenth time that afternoon.

Squidward huffed. "No, Spongebob, I told you a thousand times, I need to get home and practice clarinet!"

Spongebob sighed. "Squidward never wants to have fun," he murmured.

Squidward, overhearing the comment, turned around and leaned into the little square window separating the kitchen from the restaurant. "I do too like to have fun! Just not the kind of fun nit-wits like _you_ do!"

Spongebob laughed, clueless as to the meaning of his neighbor's sharp words. "Okay, Squidward, whatever you say!"

"It wasn't a compliment, moron." Squidward muttered.

**That evening...**

"This is so beautiful!" Meg commented, relaxing on a rock in jellyfish fields.

Patrick was chasing wildly after a jellyfish, while Spongebob gave Meg more of an update about Bikini Bottom.

Spongebob sighed. "Isn't it?" he gazed past her for a moment, as if she were invisible against the enchanting background.

Meg smiled broadly, the left side of her mouth curving up slightly higher than the right. She looked at Spongebob for a moment. "So...I never figured out how old you are," she said, playfully.

At the sound of the sea nymph's voice, Spongebob seemed to come-to out of his trance. "Huh? Oh, well, I uh...I'm 25," he told her, timidly. "And I know I hardly _ever_ act my age, but...it's the truth. I moved out about 8 years ago, right before my 18'th birthday...I'll be 26 in two months. How about you?"

Meg grinned. "I don't act my age, either. I'm 23. My birthday's in December."

Spongebob looked shocked. "23? Really? I--I was thinking more like 17 or 18. I mean--that's not a bad thing! It's just that--"

Meg giggled. "Don't worry about it, people say that all the time. I can act kinda...immature sometimes." she pushed Spongebob's shoulder in re-assurance. "And you're one to talk," she teased.

Spongebob smiled sheepishly, his face starting to turn pink.

This made Meg laugh even harder. "I'm messing with ya, Spongebob!" she said, still laughing.

Spongebob also laughed, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Heh, yeah, I knew that..."

Meg stood up and stretched. "Well, you said we were supposed to be jellyfishing, so...let's jellyfish!" she raised her net.


	5. A Little Fun

**I know, it's been practically for-EVER since I've posted on this story...I've been a little caught up in my "To be with my love" story. So...here we go!**

**Chapter 5 "Something Fun"**

Spongebob flipped a patty over, listening intently to it sizzle on the grill. He sighed. "What a beautiful day!"

"Spongebob! Squidward!" Mr. Krabs came out of his office, a smiling-wide Pearl following after him.

"Yes, Mr. Krabs?" Spongebob leaned out the kitchen window, hovering annoyingly over Squidward's head.

"Ye all know that Valentine's day is comin' up, right?" Mr. Krabs walked over to his employees.

Squidward grumbled something about Valentine's Day being for saps, and Spongebob smiled. "Of course, Mr. Krabs!" he said.

Pearl looked about ready to jump for joy, and probably would have but for the fear of breaking all the windows in the Krusty Krab. "Well, we're gonna have a Valentine's day party, right here at the Krusty Krab!" she exclaimed.

"Ooh, a Valentine's Day party!" Spongebob climbed through the window, crashing onto Squidward. "That's a great idea!"

"Spongebob!" Squidward pushed the annoyance away from him. "Mr, Krabs, do you remember the _last_ time you tried to host a party?" Squidward asked, hesitantly.

Mr. Krabs laughed. "Yeah, but _this_ time, I'm leavin' Pearl in charge of _everything_, including the finances."

"Oh, this'll be good," Squidward mumbled.

"It's gonna be a modern-day ball!" Pearl said excitedly.

"And the best part for you boys," Mr. Krabs seemed to cringe at what he was about to say. "Is that apparently, me daughter's already hired some out-of-town help, so you two'll be free to attend!" the words seemed to be killing him.

"Oh boy, Mr. Krabs!" Spongebob has sheer joy in his eyes. "What are you gonna call it?"

"Ooh, I came up with the name all by myself!" Pearl exclaimed. "'The Bikini Bottom Valentine Ball!"

-----

"The Bikini Bottom Valentine Ball?" Patrick asked, confused.

"That's right!" Spongebob confirmed. The two friends were seated in a booth at an ice cream parlor, Spongebob's vanilla ice cream remained untouched but for one bite. After that, he'd been chattering like a maniac while Patrick downed three banana splits.

"Mr. Krabs is putting out an official announcement tomorrow, everyone in Bikini Bottom is invited!" Spongebob explained. "There's gonna be music, and dancing, and food, and catering, and fancy decorations...oh I can't wait!"

Patrick shrugged. "Sounds like fun." He flagged down the waiter and ordered his fourth banana split that evening. "So...a dance, huh?"

"Yeah! Mr. Krabs says we're supposed to take a date," Spongebob said. "It'll be so much fun! Who are you gonna ask, Patrick?"

Patrick shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe the new girl that moved in next door." he received his ice cream and began scarfing it down.

"That's a great idea, Pat!" Spongebob said. He finally took another bite of his slowly melting ice cream.

"What about you?" Patrick asked, a grin creeping across his face.

Spongebob shrugged. "Dunno..." he stared out the window for a moment, then glanced back at Patrick. "Maybe I'll ask Sandy," he said, quietly.

Patrick nearly jumped onto the table. "I knew it!" he shouted, drawing attention from several diners.

"Knew what?" Spongebob had jumped back about a foot at his friend's exclamation, slamming into the back of the bench.

"Patrick sat back and laughed. "It's fun to scare you," he said.

Spongebob put a hand on his chest. "Gosh Pat, you _really _scared me! For a second, I thought you--" Spongebob clamped his mouth shut.

"What?" Patrick urged. "Oh, you mean you thought I knew that you have a crush on Sandy?"

**How's that for suspense? Pretty corny, huh! Oh well...stay tuned to find out what happens next! And don't forget to tell me what you think of it ;)**

**Meg**


	6. Words

"What?" Patrick urged. "Oh, you mean you thought I knew that you have a crush on Sandy?"

**Chapter 6 "Words"**

"So you mean to tell me that you've known this whole time, and didn't say anything?" Spongebob stared down the road.

Patrick shrugged. "I didn't think you wanted me to know," he said.

Spongebob was completely befuddled. "Have I really been that obvious?" he asked.

Patrick laughed. The both of them knew that Spongebob was just about as good as keeping a secret as Patrick was at keeping a diet.

"So then...I guess asking her would be the right thing?" Spongebob looked expectantly up at his friend.

Patrick turned to face Spongebob. "Listen to the voice of experience, Sponge. If you don't tell her now, then some charming rich young man will come and sweep her off her feet, and all your chances of ever being with her will vanish, crushed to the floor, with no chance of ever reviving."

Spongebob stared. "Did that happen to you, Pat?"

Patrick laughed. "Naw, I saw it on some dumb soap opera I was watching last night. There's some pretty sappy stuff on those shows."

Spongebob sighed. "Yeah, there is...but you may be right. I mean, Sandy _could_ fall for someone else before I get the chance to tell her how I feel." the two arrived on Conch Street. "Well, I'll see you later, Patrick."

"See ya Spongebob!" Patrick waved to his friend, and the two split up to head for their separate homes.

**NEXT DAY**

"Good morning Bikini Bottom!" Spongebob shouted out his bedroom window.

In a moment, Meg's brunette head popped out the window next door. "Morning, Spongebob!" she greeted, holding a cup of coffee. Unlike her yellow neighbor, Meg was not yet ready for her day, clad in a silky green bathrobe with her hair in a set of messy braids. It appeared she hadn't even put on her glasses, let alone her makeup.

"Good morning, Meg!" Spongebob called back. He dashed downstairs and threw open the front door. "I'm ready!" he sand, dashing down the road toward the Krusty Krab.

Squidward soon appeared. "Oh great, he's ready." he murmured, sarcastically.

"Aw, cheer up Squiddy!" Meg called. "It can't be _all_ bad working with him!"

_Perfect, she's already been brainwashed. Just when I was starting to like her, too._ Squidward humphed. "Trust me, it can."

Meg laughed. "Whatever you say, Mr. Tentacles," she teased, and ducked back inside.

Much as Squidward hated to admit it, he'd taken a certain fondness to the nymph. Not necessarily what you'd call a _liking_, but she was standable. She seemed to be the only other person with her head on straight. He made his was to work, wearing the same expression he always did.

-----

The Krusty Krab was unusually crowded that day, people flying in and out. Even Meg stopped by, much to the delight of Spongebob, as Mr. Krabs announced the Bikini Bottom Valentine Ball for about the 20'th time that day, never forgetting to mention that the Krusty Krab was taking donations to "help keep this a free event".

At the end of the day, despite being exhausted from the excessive amount of orders, Spongebob was still in high spirits.

"WhoyougonnatakeSquid?OrabetterquestionwouldbewhoyougonnaasknotwhoyougonnatakehaImaaskaspecialsomeoneknowwhothatisSquidwardsorrySquidIcan'ttellyagottaguess--" Spongebob's non-stop chattering was interrupted by Squidward's hand.

"Please, Spongebob," he whispered through clenched teeth. "We've both had a _very_ long day at work. Just go home, go to sleep, and leave me be." he removed his hand.

"Okay Squidward, see you tomorrow then!" and on that note, Spongebob skipped off toward his pineapple. "Good night, everyone!" he called, before dashing inside.


	7. All About Meg

**Author's Note: Before you start this chapter, let me tell you that it's pretty much pointless. I wanted to take the readers further into Meg's head, before she came to her astonishing conclusion. For you lazy readers out there who don't want to go through all this, there'll be a summary at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 7 "All about Meg"**

Meg gazed into her vanity mirror, running a brush through her long silky hair.

"Look at yourself," she muttered. "Sitting here, staring vainly at yourself in the mirror." she set the hairbrush down. "You're not all that," she told her reflection. "You're just a girl. A normal girl with money." she sighed. "A girl with money who is deathly lovestruck." she reached out to touch her reflection. _C'mon Meg, you could have any guy you want! This is no exception!_

"Well I know...but he's not that kind of guy!"

_Sure he is. You're just not looking hard enough._

"Well, if I'm gonna have him, then I'm gonna have him the right way."

_You know that doesn't work._

Meg sighed again and stood up, her satin nightgown swishing against her legs. She _refused_ to believe that this was the kind of guy that would fall head-over-heels for a pretty girl with a fat purse. She walked to her closet.

_I've got to stop thinking about this,_ she thought, sorting through her clothes. She came across an article that caught her eye. Wrapped in plastic, was a formal dress from her senior prom. She carefully pulled it out of the closet. It was black, covered in purple lace, with a slit in the back clear up to the thigh. It looked like it might still fit.

Ten minutes later, Meg stood in front of her vanity mirror in the dress. It fit, albeit a little more snug than before, but it fit none the less. It looked nice, too. She turned to the side.

"Wow Meg, you've put on quite a few pounds," she muttered to herself. "you need to lay off the ice cream a tad bit!" she brushed the wrinkles out of the front. Still, with her glasses on, it gave her more of a nerdy-cute look than a breathtakingly-beautiful look. "But hey, isn't that why I'm falling for Spongebob?"

She slowly covered her mouth. "Did I just say that out loud?" she asked Carly from behind her hand. Carly snored in response (she was sleeping). Realization dawned on her. "I've _got_ to go with him to that dance!"

**--------------------**

**Pretty corny, right? Well anyway if you didn't read it the summary was that Meg tried on her prom dress, decided she needed to loose some weight, and came to realize the fact that she was desperately in love with her yellow neighbor (Spongebob). Read on to find out what happens!**


	8. Two?

**Chapter 8: Two?**

Spongebob stared at his shell phone, as he'd been doing for the past fifteen minutes.

"Just do it, Spongebob," he muttered to himself. He'd called Sandy plenty of times in the past, what was so different about now? It was bad enough that he was calling on the phone to ask her to the Valentine Ball rather than asking her in person. But lately, the thought of talking to Sandy put knots in his stomach and a lump in his throat.

He swallowed and picked up the phone. He slowly dialed the number, almost hoping he dialed wrong.

He heard ringing on the other end and jumped, slamming the phone back onto the receiver.

"Meow."

Gary's sudden appearance nearly scared Spongebob out of his wits...or at least what was left of them. "Why, no Gary, I'm not nervous!" Spongebob retorted. "I just...dialed the wrong number!"

He dialed again, his hands shaking. The phone rang once. Then twice. In the middle of the third ring, Sandy picked up, and her sweet Texan voice came through the line. "Hello?"

"Uh..."

"Who's there?"

"Hey, Sandy! It's me...Spongebob." his voice squeaked high and he cleared his throat.

"Oh, hey Spongebob!" her voice sounded cheerier than it normally did. "What's on your mind?"

Spongebob fiddled with the phone chord. "Y-you know that Bikini Bottom Valentine Ball Saturday?"

"Yeah," it almost seemed Sandy could read his mind.

"Well...were you planning on going with anyone?" he was sure now that he would pass out.

Sandy giggled girlishly, an unusual thing for her to do. "No, I wasn't, why?"

Spongebob's mouth felt dry. _Why am I so darn nervous?_ he wondered. "Well, I was wondering...I mean if you don't already have a date...m-maybe you would like to g-go with me?"

"Well Spongebob...I-I--"

"I mean if you don't want to I can understand..." he chuckled nervously.

"Well, I uh...let me check my schedule. I'll call you back later Spongebob!" there was a click, and the line went dead.

Spongebob leaned against the wall. Surely she was trying to think of a polite way to say no. He placed the phone back on the cradle.

"Meow?"

Spongebob jumped another foot, and his face flushed red. "No Gary, I am not gonna have a nervous breakdown!"

-----

Sandy slammed her acorn phone down on the hook. _Why did I say I might be busy?_ she wondered. She had wanted to say _yes_. To scream into the phone "Of course I'll be your date you silly barnacle!" But something had stopped her. And if Spongebob was anywhere near as nervous as he'd sounded, it had probably been wrong for her to leave him on edge like that.

"Sandy, you dumb squirrel..."

-----

Meg glanced at herself in the mirror again, smoothing down her unruly hair.

"Bad hair days come at the most inconvenient times," she muttered to herself. She checked her makeup; it was exactly the same as when she'd checked five minutes ago. _Stop beating yourself up, Meg,_ she thought. _If he likes you, it's for who--not what--you are._ She sighed.

"Here goes..."

-----

Spongebob stared at the phone. He desperately wished it would ring, yet at the same time was dreading what the message may be.

_Knock knock knock!_

The sound of gentle pounding on the door startled the already-tipsy sponge.

"C-coming!" he called, after having caught his breath.

He made his way downstairs, and opened the door to find Meg standing there, smiling uncomfortably.

"Oh, hey Meg!" he greeted.

"Hey Spongebob," she replied, appearing to relax with the casual mood. "You busy?"

Spongebob shook his head. "Nope, just waiting for a phone call. Wanna come in?"

Meg smiled. "Thanks, Spongebob, but I just stopped by to ask you something."

"Oh, okay." Spongebob stepped outside and shut the door.

"Hey, you know uh...that Ball dance thing Saturday?" she asked, fingering a lock of her hair.

"The Bikini Bottom Valentine Ball? Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, I was wondering...if you didn't have any former plans..." her voice trailed off, and she studied her shoes. After a moment, she looked back up at Spongebob. "If you would wanna go with me...you know...like...on a date..."

Spongebob was silent for a long moment. "Well, I..." he was about to tell her that he was waiting for a call from Sandy, but that look on her face...the pleading in her eyes...that crooked smile...how could he possibly say no? Sandy was probably going to reject him anyway. "Yeah, sure," he replied.

Meg's smile grew. "Great! see you at eight, Saturday night?"

"Yeah, eight."

"Alright, bye!" Meg skipped off merrily, and Spongebob walked back inside in a daze. Had Meg Treez just asked him to the dance? And had he said yes? But, if he'd agreed to take Meg, that meant if Sandy called--

_Ring!_

Spongebob's eyes darted to the shell phone sitting on the coffee table.

_Ring!_

He picked up slowly, taking his time to answer. "Hello?"

"Hey Spongebob!" oh dear, it was Sandy. And she sounded happy. "Great news; I checked the agenda, and Saturday's open! I can go to that Valentine's Day thing!"

Spongebob laughed. "Great! Uh...how about I meet you there, 8:30?"

"Sounds perfect. See you there!"

"Yeah..."

"Bye!"

"Bye Sandy...

_Click._

Spongebob stared at the phone for a minute. _What did I just do?_

-----

Meg ran inside her house, smiling like a maniac."He said yes!" she praised, picking up her snail. "Good Carly, I'm going to a ball with Spongebob!"

Carly meowed, apparently confused.

-----

Sandy gently hung her phone up. _This is great,_ she thought sitting down. _A ball, with Spongebob. Romantic atmosphere, slow dancing..._ she sighed.

"I get to go to a dance with Spongebob," she whispered, a grin crawling across her face.


	9. Last Minute Things

**Quick Authors Note: I am SO sorry to have left you all hanging like that! As some of you know, my laptop was not in working order for quite some time, and it's current "working" order still leaves a bit to be desired.**

**Those of you who know me _better_, know that I've also recently been a bit obsessed with Gilligan's Island, therefore dropping the obsession with SpongeBob. I assure you, it was quite temporary, and now we can get back to things as usual. Well anyway, here it is, the long-awaited chapter 9! ENJOY!**

**Chapter 9 "Last Minute Things"**

The foghorn alarm sounded off. Spongebob reached out and it off, but didn't jump out of bed in his usual cheery manner. In fact, he hardly felt _cheery_ at all. Before, he had been ecstatic, thinking about the upcoming weekend. Now, he was cogitating on what to do, considering the fact that he'd agreed to take _two_ girls to this dance. He _really_ wanted to go with Sandy, enough to die...but Meg had seemed so excited about getting to go with him...would it break her heart if he told her had had another date? And what would she say to Sandy?

Questions rang through his head as he went about his morning routine. Even after that, he walked quietly to work, pondering the situation.

-----

Squidward was genuinely enjoying his morning. Square-for-brains had been quiet since he'd left his house, and had hardly mumbled "good morning". None of this "Hey Squidward, wanna go jellyfishing?What's your favorite color? Mine used to be blue, but now I'm not so sure what it is. Who you gonna ask to the dance? I'll bet it's someone real special!"

Nope, just an occasional sigh or "hi" to a passerby.

But now that he thought about it, it might be a good idea to start looking for a date for the dance. Spongebob would most likely be going with Sandy. In fact, Squidward would be almost shocked of they _didn't_ go together.

No one would really want to go to this thing with Squidward. Really, he wouldn't care to go with any residents of Bikini Bottom himself.

Except maybe Meg.

She was tolerable, to say the least. Given her random giggling could be irritating at times. But, she respected him. She was, for the most part, polite, a decent person who shared his interests. Not only that, but she was, admittedly, _kinda_ pretty...in a geeky little-girl kind of way. Long, dark silky hair all the way down to her waist, sparkling almond eyes, big crooked smile, long thin fingers...

"Mr. Squidward!" Mr. Krabs demanded, standing incredibly close to the daydreaming cashier's face.

Squidward shook his head, realizing he'd zoned out at the register. "Uh..." he took a moment to gather himself. "Yes, Mr. Krabs?"

"Yer lunch break is in ten minutes. 'Till then, I want you to make yerself useful and swab the bathroom!"

Squidward huffed. "What about the cash register?" his only intentions were to get out of _more_ work. But, upon one one glance around the abandoned restaurant, it was obvious that there was no current need for a cashier. "Why can't Spongebob do it?"

"Spongebob is already making himself useful, cleaning up the kitchen." Mr. Krabs was using a slightly irritated no-nonsense tone.

Squidward sighed. "Fine."

-----

Sandy glanced at the clock on the wall. Spongebob would be off of work in five minutes. It may as well have been five hours. She couldn't quite tell _why_ she was so anxious for him to get off today. Maybe it was just that they had a planned karate match for that evening. Yeah, that was it.

Sandy stared at the TV screen, hardly aware of the show. _I get to dance with Spongebob,_ she thought. _He chose __me__. He could have chosen someone else, but he didn't._ She smiled dreamily, her eyes wandering over to her calender. Three days until this thing. She was nervous and excited and happy, all at the same time.

_What if I mess up?_ She wondered a sudden tenseness gripping at her muscles. _What if we go to dance, and I trip...or step on his foot?_ She shook her head, as if she could shake the thoughts away. _That's silly. Spongebob doesn't care about that stuff._ She reminded herself.

The TV blared on. Sandy glances at the clock. It was 6:01. Spongebob was off work by now, and should be there any minute.

"Charles, how could you?" the TV said. Sandy realized what was playing, and switched it off.

"Oh Charles!" she mimicked in a high-pitched mocking tone. "Dumb soap operas..."

-----

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Spongebob clutched a small brown paper bag containing his karate gear, knocking on the door to Sandy's tree-dome.

"It's just karate, Spongebob, calm down!" he whispered to himself. He wiped his sweaty hands off on his pants.

"Coming!" Sandy called.

A few moments later, they were gearing up for the game. It was times like this when Spongebob wondered, why? Karate was fun and all, but sometimes it could be painful. Their matches sometimes got intense, and Sandy was strong. _Really_ strong. There had been more than one occasion when she'd sent him home with two black eyes and uncountable cuts and bruises. Maybe he kept doing it because he needed to prove something. Maybe he had this insane urge to beat her. Maybe, just _maybe..._It was because he liked her. That smug smile whenever she won (almost every time), that twinkle in her eye, the feel of her hands on his arms...he shook his head. _Whoa!_ he thought.

-----

"Spongebob," Sandy poked the entranced Sponge.

"Huh, what?" he looked up at her. "Oh...right."

Something was fishy with him today. He'd hardly made any effort to beat her during their spar, and afterwards he'd hardly spoken.

"Somethin' on your mind?" she asked, taking a bite of cookie.

Spongebob shook his head. "No, not at all," he said, a little bit _too_ defensively.

She touched his arm. "What is it? You know you can tell me."

Spongebob flinched away. "D--I gotta go...do..._something_, bye Sandy!" And with that, he took off.

Sandy sighed. "He's doing it again." **(See CGC1 chapter 6)**

-----

Meg had just stepped outside for a walk around the neighborhood, when Spongebob brushed quickly past.

"Hey Spongebob!" she called after him.

He responded by screaming, and then running inside. Meg was slightly taken-aback by his change in attitude since yesterday. Was this the kind of behavior Squidward had been talking about?


	10. Valentine's Day

**Chapter 10 "Valentines Day"**

Spongebob straightened his tie in front of the mirror. He glanced at the clock. _It's only 7:30,_ he thought. Saturday had finally rolled around, as Pearl slowly transformed the Krusty Krab into a party room. Spongebob and Squidward hadn't been allowed in when Pearl added the final touches, so arriving at the part would be their first taste.

Spongebob brushed his tuxedo off, and took another nervous peek at the clock. It was moving much too fast for his liking. In any other event, he would be eager to go to a party at the Krusty Krab. But tonight was different. He'd promised to take both Sandy _AND_ Meg as his date, and was going to have to do something.

_I can do this,_ He told himself. _I can go to that dance tonight, and be there with both of them._ He sighed. "No, I can't," he murmured. "Oh Gary, how did I get into this mess?" He asked his pet snail, for about the tenth time that evening.

"Meow." _You did it, not me._ Would be Gary's reply every time.

Spongebob glanced at the clock. Only 10 minutes to go. He straightened his tie again. _I'm gonna blow this,_ he worried. _I'm SO gonna blow this!_

**_Knock! Knock! Knock!_**

Spongebob stared at the front door for a long moment, before realizing he was supposed to open it.

"Spongebob, you home?" Meg's voice came through the closed metal door.

"Uh yeah, coming!" He opened the door, and stared at the girl in wonder.

She was clad in an elegant purpled-and-black sleeveless dress, and flat-heeled black dress shoes. Her hair sat in a neat pile atop her head, with a few stray strands teasing her face. Her black pointed glasses even held a bit of a purple tint...but of course, that could have been the light. Her brown eyes shimmered--that could have been the light too.

She was hypnotically beautiful, to say the least.

"W-wow," Spongebob stuttered. "You...you look great!"

A smile stretched across Meg's face. "Thanks, so do you."

_Spongebob, you jerk! _He told himself. It was quite apparent that she'd put a lot of time and effort into looking nice for this dance. He wished Sandy would just show up right now and pount him into the ground!

"So...let's go!" Meg was biting her lip in an un-hidden nervousness.

"Yeah, let's go," Spongebob repeated.

Meg giggled. "After you, good sir," she gestured, using a phony European accent.

Spongebob tried to lighten up. "No no, ladies first," He replied, using the same sweeping gesture.

"Care to join me?" Meg asked with a smile, and extended her arm.

Spongebob hesitated, but after a few seconds hooked elbows with the eager girl. "Much obliged," he answered, sounding much less enthusiastic than he'd intended.

"Obliged?" Meg teased, pasting a mock look of irritation on her face.

"Uh...delighted?" Spongebob corrected.

Meg giggled again, and the two set off toward the Krusty Krab. _Maybe I'll be lucky, and Sandy's agenda will have been full today after all,_ he thought. He immediately pushed the thought to the back of his mind. With luck like his, there was no _chance_ that would happen.

-----

Sandy checked her makeup again. It was hard to tell if she'd done it _completely_ right, considering the fact that she hardly ever wore it.

_Stop scaring yourself, Sandy!_ She silently scolded. _Spongebob likes you for __you__, no other reason!_ She examined her dress in the mirror. It was a shiny silver dress that glittered in the right light. The sleeves were especially short, and at the bottom one side came clean up to the middle of her right thigh, while the other side came inches from her left ankle. She took a look at the clock, and guessed she'd better get moving.

-----

Meg felt several pairs of eyes trained on her, as she and Spongebob entered the Krusty Krab. The decorations were gorgeous! The walls were painted red and trimmed with white lace, with a few sets of hearts danging down here and there. Blue lights danced about the room, occasionally reflection off of a disco ball located in the center of the ceiling, casting a romantic purple glow over everything.

"Wow...it's beautiful Spongebob!" Meg whispered.

Spongebob laughed quietly. "Yeah...Pearl handled most of the decorative stuff. Squidward and I helped a little here and there, but mostly it was Pearl."

Meg giggled and rummaged through her memory. "Alright, and Pearl is...your boss' daughter, correct?"

Spongebob looked impressed. "Yeah." He glanced at the clock. "Oh my, I'll be right back!"

"Where you going?" Meg asked, following him with her gaze.

"D--I gotta...think I forgot something...it's--oh wait here, I'll be back!" And with his words, he dashed out the door.

Meg shrugged, and glanced across the room to see Squidward, all alone, and decided to say hi.

"Hey, Squidward!" She called, approaching the lonesome octopus. "Nice party, huh?"

Squidward shrugged his shoulders. "I guess...as far as the Krusty Krab goes. I guess you could say it's an improvement from the original version." He stated, blandly.

Meg smiled. "Well, Spongebob said he'd be back in a little bit, but I don't see him anywhere. Wanna dance?"

"No, thank you." Squidward replied.

Meg tugged gently on his arm. "Aw come on Squiddy, let's!"

"I'd rather not."

"Aw come on! Hey if you do...I'll stop bugging you!"

Squidward sighed. "Fine."

-----

Spongebob stood outside of the Krusty Krab, by the double doors. He nervously checked his watch. Sandy should be here by now! He half hoped she wouldn't show up. He half wished she would just get there! Maybe he could call in sick...

"He Spongebob," A timid-yet-familiar voice was behind him.

He turned around at the sound of Sandy's voice--and nearly dropped over; before him stood the most _gorgeous_ creature under the sea, Sandy, wearing a silver dress that showed her delicate shoulders, and was glittering a tender purple from the indoor lights. On her feet, she had high-heeled black pumps, and her nails were painted a bold red.

Spongebob felt the palms of his hands begin to grow damp with sweat. "Hi-hi-hi Sandy!" He managed. _I've got another date I've been meaning to tell you about,_ He thought.

"Hey." Sandy sounded just as shy as Spongebob was dumbfounded by her beauty.

"You uh...wanna come inside?" _It's my new neighbor, Meg, the one who just moved in next door._ Spongebob wiped his hands on his pant legs.

Sandy smiled. "Yeah."

"It's right uh...this way..." he stuttered. _But I'd really rather we didn't go inside..._

-----

Meg glanced around the room, searching for her vanished date. _Where could he have gotten to?_ She wondered.

There was a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to face a short fish in a navy-blue tuxedo.

"Yes, can I help you?" She questioned absentmindedly.

"I believe so. You see, we are without a lead singer, she stepped out at the last minute, and we were wondering if you could sub in for her." He looked rather hopeful, and Meg hated to disappoint him, but...

"Oh, I don't think so, I-I can't--"

"Oh, please, we're so very desperate!"

Meg sighed. "Alright, sure..."

-----

Sandy followed Spongebob into the restaurant, feeling several pairs of eyes subtly staring after them.

As they ventured further inside, a short fish walked onto the makeshift stage sitting where the cash register used to be. "Welcome, citizens of Bikini Bottom!" He began.

The noise in the room died down. Heads turned to face the stage.

"Thank you all, for attending the Bikini Bottom Valentine Ball! Now, before we start playing, I've got a couple of announcements to make; first, Flora, our singer, was unable to attend tonight due to an emergency family situation. A beautiful young lady kindly volunteered to assist us tonight in her place. Ladies and gentlemen, Meg Treez!" The spotlight moved to cover a timid young sea nymph standing on the edge of the stage. She smiled and gave a short wave, and a shock of recognition flashed across Sandy's mind, as the announcer continued with information about the dance.

"Hey Spongebob," Sandy turned to face her date, who was pale in the face. "Isn't that Meg from next door to you?"

"Eh..." Spongebob squeaked. He didn't look like he felt too well.

"Alright, now let's get this show going!" the announcer said, before smiling and giving Meg the stage.

Meg stepped up to the microphone and flashed a smile to the audience. Although she carried herself confidently, Sandy could see bashfulness behind her eyes.

"Hey everyone, thanks for coming!"

Sandy smiled and glanced down at Spongebob, who looked like he was going to faint. His face was pale, and his hands were trembling, as if he'd just survived something tragic.

"Spongebob, you okay?" She gently set her hand on his shoulder.

Meg continued. "I'm no professional...in fact I should probably warn you to plug your ears." She chuckled nervously. "Just don't want to send anyone home on a stretcher." her joke provoked a positive response from the crowd. "So anyway," music began. Fun, up-beat music. "Some of you know this song, and for those of you who don't, well..." Her gaze wandered over to Spongebob, and she smiled lightly. "Let's just pretend I wrote it myself."

**"Some people think I'm crazy, but try to understand.**

**I get satisfaction out of everything I can.**

**The losers and the winners, the laughter and the tears.**

**The noises of the day today, is music to my ears.**

**And I like it**

**Hey I like it, yeah"**

The young girl wouldn't stop staring at Spongebob while she was singing, and for some reason, it made Sandy uncomfortable.

**"Gonna get so high tonight, you won't be able to bring me down,**

**'Cos I like it, yeah I like it."**

Her gaze finally tore away and she glanced briefly around the crowded room.

-----

Meg's hands sweat as she held the microphone. Spongebob seemed to have disappeared from the audience. It was lucky she knew this song so well, or there was no doubt she would have messed up by now. Meg wasn't generally the nervous type, but she really wasn't a singer either.

She finished the song mindlessly, searching the crowd for signs of her date. The applauding audience and shouts of "Encore!" Completely escaped her attention as she stepped backstage.

"Great show, Meg!" She recognized that voice, it was...

"Thanks, Sandy!" Meg replied.

Sandy smiled. "No problem. Say, have you seen Spongebob? I can't find him anywhere."

Meg shook her head. "No, he disappeared a couple minutes ago." meg smiled, when she saw Spongebob bop backstage. "Oh, there he is!"

Spongebob chuckled, seemingly nervous. "H-hey Meg, hey Sandy..." he walked over to stand by Sandy.

Meg let her smile grow, and looked back up at the squirrel. "So, who are you here with?" she asked.

This time it was Sandy who beamed, and wrapped her arm around the trembling sponge. "Who do you think?" she asked grinning.

The smile vanished from Meg's face. "Spongebob?"

Spongebob looked ready to fall over dead, his face turning pale while his cheeks turned bright crimson.

"Yeah..." Sandy replied, slowly. "What about you?"

------------

**That, my friends, is the end of chapter 10. I want to thank ALL of you who reviewed, and let you know that hey, I'm reading your stories too! Have a good one!**

**-Meg**


	11. The Moment of Truth

**Sorry to have kept you all waiting--_again_! Most of you know that I was in California for about a week, and well...it's kinda hard to update when there's SO many things to be doing with your family! So, here's chapter 11!**

**Chapter Eleven "Moment of Truth"**

Meg looked at Spongebob, disbelief clouding her eyes. His face was a pale-yellow, his blue eyes pleading--no, _begging_ her--not to say anything rude. One would believe that you could cause him to fall into a million pieces with the touch of a finger.

Sandy stared expectantly, and Meg gazed at the floor.

"I came...alone." She finally answered, tears brimming her eyes. "Excuse me," She said quietly, pushing her way past the pair and dashing toward the women's bathroom.

For a moment, the tears came in a flood, as she let out the shock of her most recent discovery. "I should have known," she mumbled. She glanced up at herself in the mirror to examine her smudged makeup, and noticed someone standing behind her.

"Should have known what?" Sandy asked.

Meg shook her head. "Nothing." She let out a sob. "It's nothing."

Sandy walked up to her, and put an arm around her shoulders. "Come on now, y'all can tell me,"

Meg looked up into the compassionate squirrel's face. She took a deep breath.

-----

Spongebob stared after the door to the bathroom, where he'd seen Meg, followed by Sandy, disappear not 5 minutes ago.

"I screwed up." He muttered, sitting down. "_Big time._" He felt wretched, absolutely dreadful. He'd done a lot of stupid things in the bast, but he'd never made a pretty girl run away crying before. He hoped she came out and slapped him. That, at least, would make him feel a _little_ better.

Spongebob spotted Squidward not too far away, and he stood an ran to him. "Squidward! Squidward, you've got to help me!" He said, desperation swelling his voice.

The doleful octopus sighed. "I know I'm going to regret this, but I'll ask anyway; what?"

Spongebob explained his situation, and realized he was close to tears. "And then Sandy said she was gonna go find out what was wrong, and she can make _anyone_ feel better, and--" He stopped short at the sight of the two girls emerging back onto the dance floor. They were smiling and laughing...and they didn't look angry.

"Hey Spongebob!" Sandy called.

"Spongebob, I normally wouldn't give you advice," Squidward muttered. "But right now, I would suggest you run, or hide."

Spongebob bit his lip. "You sure?"

Before Squidward could answer, Sandy had grabbed Spongebob's hand and yanked him away. "Wanna dance?" She asked, eagerly. 

"D-uh...sure..." Spongebob took her hand slowly, placed his other hand on her waist, and after a moment the two were swaying rhythmically with the music.

-----

Squidward watched Spongebob dancing with Sandy, and almost smiled. _Almost_.

"Hey Squiddy," Meg said, approaching.

Squidward sighed, giving up on his efforts to be left alone. "Hmm?"

"Did you...did you come alone?" She asked, her voice timid and quiet.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well," Meg chuckled. "Kind of a funny story. See, my date ditched me, and--"

"Wait, let me guess," Squidward interrupted. "You want to get him back and look like you're having a good time?"

"Well actually...no. I--I was hoping you could be my dance partner." She told him.

Squidward sighed. She _did_ look rather sorrowful... "I suppose it couldn't hurt." He said, slowly.

Meg smiled. "Thanks!" She said, taking his hand. "Let's go then!" She giggled, and pulled the reluctant octopus onto the dance floor.

-----

Spongebob felt like he could dance the night away, swaying this way and that, changing tempo with the songs. The sight of Sandy laughing and twirling in that magnificent dress made his heart flutter. Only one creature in the sea could make him feel that way, and it was most _definitely_ Sandy.

"So, Meg said she was having _guy_ problems." Sandy said, suggestively drawing out _guy_.

Spongebob flinched. "I'm...sure I don't know what you're talking about..."

Sandy shrugged. "It's probably nothing. I mean, it's not like _you_ could have done anything to hurt her to badly."

Spongebob chuckled nervously. "Of course not..."

Sandy spun and landed in a position awkwardly close to Spongebob's face, her shoulder nuzzled into his chest. "I mean, I would hate for you to be _lying_ to me." Their faces drifted closer, and Sandy smiled. "But who am I kidding? You don't lie, do you Spongebob." Her words seemed more like a fact than a question, and the queasy feeling returned to Sponge's stomach.

Sandy pulled away and spun again. "Not sure what I would do if I found out from someone _else_ that you were hiding something," She giggled. "But of course, that won't happen." This time, she spun so close, their faces nearly touched. "Now, will it?"

Spongebob's finger-tips tingled, and he couldn't take it any longer. Fortunately, the two were close enough to the edge of the floor that they didn't call any attention when they stopped dancing. "Oh Sandy, please forgive me!" He cried, throwing his arms around her middle. "I tried to do the right thing, I really did! But I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but I _really_ wanted to be here with you! And-and-"

Sandy cut him off, pulling gently away so she could see his face. "Whoa whoa, slow down little critter!" She put a finger over his lips to silence him. "Okay, now, start from the beginning."

Spongebob took a deep, shuddering breath. He _did_ start from the beginning, about the confusing nature of the day when he called. When he'd finished the explanation, his entire body shook with sobs, like a little kid who's just confessed to breaking the dining room skylight. "And it was stupid and selfish, and unthoughtful of me not to fix it sooner, and I'm sorry!"

He looked up into Sandy's face, to see her..._smiling?_

She wrapped her arms around the trembling sponge in an affectionate hug. "I know. Meg told me everything, but I was waiting to see if you would tell me the truth yourself." She whispered.

Spongebob returned the embrace, choking back more tears.

Sandy gave him a gentle squeeze, then pushed him far enough away that she could see his face.

Spongebob wanted desperately to look away, to avoid the gaze. But he held eye contact.

"Spongebob, friends _talk_ to each other. They let each other know when something is up." She brushed a hand gently across his cheek. "Don't lock me out, okay?"

Spongebob sniffed. "Okay."

The smile returned to Sandy's face. "Alright. Now, we've got a party to finish!"

Spongebob smiled too. "Dance?"

"I'd love to!"

And so they _did._ They danced the night away.

**-----**

**So...what did you think? I'd like reviews, as usual! And thanks to all of you who _have_ been reviewing, your comments are wonderful and appreciated! Enjoy!**

**-Meg**


	12. Too Perfect

**This chapter is the end of _this_ book, but I already have a storyline worked out for book 3! I don't know if I should continue the series though, so...input is appreciated! Thanks for taking the time ;) Here's the story!**

**Chapter Twelve "Too Perfect"**

Meg sat in her back yard, with her back against the wall, strumming mindlessly on her guitar. Carly slept comfortably beside her.

"I should have known, Good Carly." Meg whispered, seemingly unaware of her pet's unconscious state. "They were _so_ meant for each other." She sighed. "I guess true love just lets true love be." Slowly, Meg strummed a chord, and then added words.

Carly began to stir, and purred recognizing the tone of her owner's voice.

Meg was overcome with a fresh wave of tears, that she tried to choke back with the next paragraph.

Carly rubbed affectionately against Meg's leg, and the doleful sea nymph smiled. With a glanced at her watch, she realized that it was 2:00 A.M. The party had ended about thirty minutes ago, and Meg had immediately headed for her guitar.

She slapped her fingers over the strings, silencing them, when she saw a short figure standing a few paces to her left. "Spongebob! How long have you been standing there?"

"I just got here." Spongebob replied, quietly. "May I...sit down?"

Meg nodded and stared at the ground in front of her, strumming a mellow tune as her neighbor sat down next to her.

"You play beautifully," He commented, also staring.

"Thanks."

A few moments passed, when all that could be heard was Carly's contended purring and the gentle sound of the guitar strings.

Spongebob finally sighed and spoke. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"I--it's my fault," Meg stuttered in reply. "I didn't even bother to check if you had previous plans. guess I was just kinda...thinking about myself," She sighed also, and concentrated on a small rock not too far off.

"But it's _my_ fault," Spongebob insisted. "I--if I'd just said no to you, or-or to Sandy..."

Meg giggled, her usual bubbly nature returning to her. "It's okay," She assured him. "You didn't _mean_ to do anything wrong." She stopped playing.

"Well, I'd better go to bed," Spongebob whispered. "I'll see you later." But before he dashed off, he planted a quick kiss on her cheek, and ran inside.

The left corner of Meg's mouth twisted into a smile. She may never have her man, but she would _always_ have a great friend.

"Good night, Spongebob." She whispered, staring at the pineapple next door.

**-----**

**I just had to do something nice for Meg. Isn't Spongebob sweet? Well, like _always_, reviews are appreciated! OH, and that song that Meg was playing, I actually wrote it, it goes like this:**

_**They were meant to be together, him and her equals forever,**_

_**See the sunshine in their eyes.**_

_**People say that they won't make it, but the pressure they can take it,**_

_**They'll be alright.**_

_**So just listen to my song now, if you can then sing along now,**_

_**'Cause they're gonna try!**_

_**The perfect pair, it starts right here! At the heart,**_

_**The perfect pair, don't you wanna be there? For the start!**_

_**Their affections couldn't show, took 'till now for them to know,**_

_**That they're in love.**_

_**These new feelings have abounded, when they touch they are surrounded,**_

_**By their trust.**_

_**If this is all so right, why are there these tears in my eyes?**_

_**What are they from?**_

_**The perfect pair, it starts right here! At the heart,**_

_**The perfect pair, don't you wanna be there? For the start!**_

_**The perfect pair! Don't you wanna be there? **_

_**For the perfect pair!**_

**So review, send me a message, whatever, just tell me what you think! Happy Thanksgiving!**

**-Meg**


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